Vitali Klitschko, leader of Ukraine's UDAR opposition party signs an agreement between the opposition forces and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Feb. 21 in Kiev that sets a way out of the country's political crisis. Photo: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images

There was a time when Vitali Klitschko’s toughness was questioned. Maybe he didn’t have the heart to be the heavyweight champion. Maybe he lacked courage.

Seems silly now, but that was the sentiment on April 1, 2000, when Klitschko quit on his stool after the ninth round against Chris Byrd in their fight for the WBO heavyweight championship in Berlin. Klitschko said he had injured his shoulder and couldn’t continue, but that didn’t satisfy some who saw no excuse for a 6-foot-7 man saying “No mas” against a blown-up cruiserweight.

Klitschko’s courage is only admired these days, as the former heavyweight champion is at the center of the anti-government protests in the Ukraine that have left, by some reports, more than 100 people dead, and at least a thousand injured in violent clashes with police. Klitschko, who last fought in September 2012, gave up his reign as the WBC Champion in December to pursue the presidency of his native Ukraine. The holder of a Ph.D in sports science, he leads the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform, an opposition party that favors the Western democratic system.

Months of peaceful protests erupted into days of bloody battle on the streets of Kiev, the Ukrainian capital. An agreement to cease the violence was signed Friday. It would see Ukraine’s current president lose some of his powers and a caretaker government created that would include members of the opposition, including Klitschko, whose popularity as a sports hero, and his absence of scandal and corruption, has helped his stature as a political leader.

“He’s the only person who can affect that type of change in the Ukraine, where he has the respect of the people,” said Tom Loeffler, who works for Klitschko’s K2 Promotions. “They understand he has his own financial stability and success in boxing. He doesn’t need to go into politics for his own personal gain. He’s doing it to create a better environment for the Ukrainian people.”

Three years after quitting against Byrd, Klitschko proved his courage in the boxing ring when he went toe-to-toe with Lennox Lewis for the WBC heavyweight title in Los Angeles. A heavy underdog, Klitschko fought through a bad cut over his left eye. He was ahead on all three scorecards when doctors stopped the fight after six rounds. Now he is risking his life in Kiev for what he feels is best for Ukraine. Reports of fires, shootings and killings left his boxing peers concerned for his safety and in awe of his commitment.

“He’s has a real tough job on his hands,” former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson said. “I really wouldn’t want to be him at this moment. I wouldn’t really want to be him. But he’s fighting a hell of a fight right now. He’s made for the job.”

Top Rank founder Bob Arum, who co-promoted several of Klitschko’s bouts early in career said: “I pray he doesn’t come to a bad end because obviously what he’s doing is very, very dangerous. He such a big guy, he seems like he could be a target.”

Said Loeffler: “It’s a very dangerous situation over there. This is just so unpredictable. He has always tried to keep the peace between the protesters and the government. But things are starting to escalate.”

Klitschko never lost again after his fight with Lewis, who retired. Klitschko won the WBC belt in 2004 by beating Corrie Sanders, but his heavyweight legacy was stalled when he made only one defense before injuries forced him to sit out four years. All but forgotten, he reclaimed the crown in 2008 and was unbeaten in 10 fights, mostly in Germany, before announcing he was leaving boxing to run for the presidency of Ukraine. No one close to him was surprised.

“Vitali has always seen himself as a representative of the people of the Ukraine,” said Ross Greenburg, former president of HBO Sports. “Even with all time he spent in Germany, he knew he needed to go back and help his people in the Ukraine. That commitment has been there and he’s been right in the middle of the political atmosphere there for a decade.”

When Klitschko fought Lewis, the cut over his left eye was so deep that when his trainer tried to swipe the blood away, the gauze fell into the cut. Doctors stopped the fight. Klitschko was irate. Lewis was relieved.

“He probably gave Lewis the fight of his career,” Greenburg said. “It was one of those fights that he won even though he lost.”

Klitschko, 42, ended his career 45-2 with 41 knockouts. He’ll make the Boxing Hall of Fame based on his incredible knockout percentage. But the lack of quality opposition will keep his career from being fully appreciated, especially by the American boxing audience who often confuse him with his brother, Wladimir Klitschko, the IBF, WBO and Ring title holder. Together they are the first brother tandem to hold heavyweight titles simultaneously.

“If they were Americans they would have captured the public’s imagination. But that never happened,” Greenburg said.

Vitali Klitschko has gotten our attention and admiration now. No one is questioning his courage.